More than £2.6 million will be spent on drawing up plans for three major town centre regeneration projects in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The redevelopment of York Place, Midway Car Park and Ryecroft could see the delivery of dozens of homes, a hotel and new shops.

Last September, Newcastle Borough Council appointed developer Capital&Centric – which is currently building the Goods Yard project in Stoke – to carry out feasibility studies for all three schemes.

The council is now set to pay Capital&Centric a further £2.649 million to prepare planning applications for the projects, as well as determine their expected cost.

Most of the money (£2.2 million) will come from Newcastle's award from the Future High Street Fund, with £326,338 coming from Aspire Housing and £136,964 from the borough council's capital programme.

£500,000 will be spent stripping out York Place and retaining the concrete frame for redevelopment (Newcastle Borough Council).

The cost includes up to £500,000 to be spent on stripping out York Place shopping centre and retaining the concrete frame, once the last tenants move out later this month.

The York Place scheme would include the provision of 47 flats for young professionals, down-sizers and families, along with 17,222sq ft of commercial space, and a new, larger base for the Astley Performing Arts Centre.

Earlier plans for offices have now been dropped, as the proposed space was not suitable for the anticipated occupier.

Midway Car Park is set to close later this year, once the new Castle Car Park on the Ryecroft site has been completed.

Capital&Centric's plan for Midway would see the retention of the building's concrete frame and floors, with the structure being re-engineered for residential purposes.

According to the report to cabinet, this would save money and time while also 'creating an architecturally aspirational development', consisting of 106 apartments.

There would also be 'extensive' shared facilities, including a gym and private dining, which would also be accesible to residents in the other Capital&Centric town centre schemes.

Meanwhile, the Ryecroft development would include a 110-room hotel, 36 houses and 10,000sq ft of commercial space.

Newcastle Borough Council was awarded £11m from the government's Future High Street Fund (LDRS).

The borough council has signed a franchise agreement with Accor Resorts for the development of an Ibis Styles hotel, while the authority has also been in talks with Aspire Housing over the residential element.

Part of the Ryecroft site could be sold to McCarthy and Stone, who want to building an apartment block for the over-55s.

Capital&Centric is expected to take six to eight months to draw up the design and costs for each of the projects, after which the council will decide whether to proceed with them.

The cabinet report states: "This incremental approach has been used successfully by the council on both the Kidsgrove Sports Centre refurbishment and on the construction of the new Castle Car Park.

"Crucially, it enables the council to take a phased approach to the developments, with cost certainty secured before progressing to the next stage."

The final stage of the process would include deciding which parts of the scheme would remain in council ownership, and which would be sold to Capital&Centric. According to the cabinet report, selling the developments would significantly reduce the council's borrowing costs.

Newcastle Borough Council was awarded £11 million from the government's Future High Street Fund, including £3.7m for Ryecroft and £3m for York Place.

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